** This chapter contains triggering content, read at your own risk **
After a while, Seokjin returned to the room, slowly opening the door and poking his head inside. His gaze locked onto the two who were apparently embracing-- again. He cleared his throat, seeing the drying tears on Tae's slender face. Both of their faces shot up, the obviously reddened eyes and noses from crying were now visible to the eldest. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything.." he spoke hesitantly, raising his brows. "But I brought food!" he finished, raising up the three paper bags in hand so the two could see them clearly. Jungkook removed himself from his hyung's back, unknowingly causing Taehyung to whine a bit. Tae's cheeks dusted in a light shade of pink from the sound he had just heard escape him, not realizing such a sound was possible.
Jungkook raised an eyebrow at him before turning to Seokjin, standing slowly and walking over to receive his food. Instead of returning to the couch, he sat on the end of the hospital bed and began eating. Jin walked to the couch where Tae was still seated, handing him his food before sitting beside the younger boy. They all ate in silence, except for the occasional 'moan' Jin would let out, announcing that he was enjoying his food.
Once they had all finished, Jin stood again and collected the trash before throwing it in an obliging bin located near the door. He returned, leaning against the bed frame and patting his stomach with a satisfied smile on his soft, plump lips. The two looked at him and shook their heads slightly, soft smiles forming on both of their lips. Though, Taehyung's smile only lasted a few seconds. His lips almost immediately returned to a frown, which Jungkook noticed right away. He glanced over to Seokjin, giving him a concerned eyebrow raise before tipping his head towards Tae who was now looking at his hands.
Seokjin understood, getting off the bed frame and speaking up. "Taehyung-ah, you must be tired now. Come, I'll take you back to your room." he used his soft, motherly tone as he spoke while he crossed the room to stand Tae up and guided him out the door and back to his room. The younger two hadn't gotten to say goodbye, but Jungkook was still slightly awkward about what had happened previously. Even though he had initiated the hug, Taehyung's reaction when he ended it left him with questions. Things were different, in so many ways. His best friend was now sickly, scarred, and he felt guilty. It was his fault. If he had stayed, things would have been different. He rubbed his temples, waiting for about fifteen minutes before Jin knocked on the door, stepping inside again. Sorrowful eyes locked onto the eldest hyung, causing him to quickly return to the bedside and offer a caring smile to the youngest. "What's on your mind, Jungkookie?" he asked, his motherly tone showing through again.
"He's so different.. and his scars... hyung, what have I done?" His eyes were full of seriousness, yet sadness. He knew he was at fault. He knew Taehyung was hurting because of him.
"How can I fix this..?" he asked again, still staring sorrowfully at his hyung.
Seokjin sighed softly, placing a firm yet calming hand on his shoulder. "What all did he tell you?"
Jungkook's eyes scanned over his face before he spoke, his voice cracking slightly as he remembered the sight of the scars. "He didn't tell me.. he showed me. His arm. It was-" he stopped, running his hands over his eyes and up into his hair before slowly lifting it again. "His arm was covered in scars, hyung."
Jin nodded slowly, recalling the memories of how Tae was when he found him with the scars for the first time. His normal, happy expression turned gloomy as a frown graced his lips. "I suppose it should be him telling you this, but his scars aren't the only reason he's in the hospital." he sighed, looking away from the younger for a moment.
"Tell me, hyung. Please?"
"You deserve to know." he nodded. "While you were gone, he went into a state of.. deep depression. It got to the point where he stopped speaking with us. He would lock himself in his room for days on end. Refusing to eat, refusing to move. One night, we had all had enough of it and we forced him to come out. His door was locked, so we broke it and what we found inside crushed us all." He paused, rubbing his eyes before continuing.
"Blood. His arms were covered in scratches. The scratches he showed you. After that night, I forced him to stay in a room with me. But he was different. Colder, more bitter. It was scary to watch. You remember how he used to be. Happy-go-lucky Taehyungie, never failing to make us smile." he smiled softly at the happier memories flooding his mind before he returned to the story.
"Though he was different, I hoped he would get better if I was there for him. Helping him, watching him.. guiding him." He looked down at his hands, frowning again. "But I was wrong."
"I wanted things to be okay. And for a little while, I thought he was showing improvement. It wasn't long ago, maybe a month or so when he started acting.. better. He seemed happier. Me and Namjoon were going out to a movie, and we invited him along. He declined, telling us that Jiminnie was stopping by later to see him. But he was smiling, for the first time in months. I shouldn't have left him.." he placed his head in his hands, groaning at his own actions. "But I did. We were gone for no less than an hour when we got a call from Hoseok, not Jimin. Hoseok found him. He was laying on the floor of the kitchen."
He lifted his head to stare into Jungkook's eyes with a saddened gaze. "He had a bottle in one hand, and a handful of pills in the other. Not to mention the few he still had in his mouth. He was unconscious, and may not be here today if Hoseok hadn't found him when he did."
Jungkook's eyes widened and his mouth fell agape at his hyung's words. He couldn't believe his own ears. Taehyung had tried to end himself. He didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be true. There was no way his Taehyung would ever do that to himself. He shivered, realizing what he had just called him. His. He tried to brush it off, ignoring his own thoughts.
"Hyung.. mianhae. It's my fault.. I should have been here. I shouldn't have left him."
"Yah, don't concern yourself with it now. He's still here, and so are you. Make the most of it." he smiled softly, leaning in to place a motherly kiss on the younger's hair before tapping his cheek with his hand. "With you here, he has a reason to stay. Don't let him fall."
Those words rang in the younger's head repeatedly, echoing until it was almost deafening. He had to stay.
A/N:
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